33: Dakaratte
by cali-chan
Summary: They live in a land where family strength and honor of the bloodline are the most important things. And so Uchiha Sasuke finds himself in an arranged engagement to Hyuuga Hinata, and he will follow it through, to restore the Uchiha clan... [NOT SasuHina!]
1. Prologue

**Dakaratte**

**author:** carla, aka cali-chan  
**rating:** PG, so far. rating might go up, though, depending on my mood when writing later chapters.  
**genre:** romance, drama, some humor.  
**pairings:** sasusaku, naruhina, shikaino... possible nejiten.  
**canon:** probably manga, since i can't exactly wait until i can catch the episodes... it's quicker to read the manga XD they're not THAT different, anyway.  
**summary:** they live in a land where family strength and honor of the bloodline are the most important things. by that principle, uchiha sasuke finds himself in an arranged engagement to hyuuga hinata, and he intends to follow it through, to restore the uchiha clan. he doesn't know anything about girls, though, so he gets help from the only girl he can consider being remotely comfortable with... what happens when their 'practice' becomes so much more? and how will hinata deal with her family's pressure and her impending loveless marriage?

* * *

_Dakaratte_ (だからって): _jap exp_. Even so; all the same; nevertheless; yes, but...

* * *

**Prologue**

There was a timid knock on the door of Hyuuga Hiashi's study. He looked up from the book he was reading as the door opened.

"Y-You wished to see me, Chichiue?" Hyuuga Hinata's trembling voice floated to his ears immediately.

He closed his eyes for a second and nodded his head. "Yes. Come in and have a seat, Hinata."

The young woman hesitantly did as told. They remained in silence, never looking at each other, until the head of the Hyuuga clan finally closed his book and resumed speaking. "You will be twenty-one in less than a month, Hinata." His daughter nodded. "You are aware of the implications."

Hinata nodded yet again. "I will be expected to t-take the title of heir of the C-clan," she stuttered, like she was signing her death sentence. This detail didn't escape Hiashi. She may have matured immensely, becoming more confident and strong-willed, but her relationship with her father would always be her Achilles' heel.

He hmm-ed his assent. "You are not ready."

Hinata almost choked. That was his conclusion? He hadn't even been to one of her training sessions lately...

Initially, Hinata had been scheduled for this ceremony when she turned eighteen. Hiashi had also deemed her not ready then, and had pulled strings in order to postpone it to her twenty-first birthday. Since then, she had been training endlessly, trying to learn new jutsus and skills that would allow her to get her father's approval. She would have to become Clan leader with or without it, but she, more than anything, wanted to be a good leader in her father's eyes. She liked to think her light now shone a little more on her father's mind but now she was being proven wrong... yet again.

"If you wish, w-we could postpone the ceremony a little longer... T-the elders would probably have no p-problem--"

"I do not think you ever will be ready."

Her heart fell to her stomach. After everything she had given, after she had poured her body and soul into being the best ninja she could be? Still he couldn't accept her? "I-I'm sure, that if I train harder--"

"It is not about training, Hinata," he interrupted her yet again. She dutifully stopped speaking to allow him to make his point, no matter how hard it was for her to hear it. That was the way it had always been in the Hyuuga family. "You think I have not seen it, but I am aware that you have matured as a person as well as a ninja." He looked not at her, his voice stern but sure, while he said all of this. "You have become strong, and as Clan Leader I am proud that you are a Hyuuga."

She didn't say anything, but her spirit lifted a little. Rarely did her father have words of encouragement for her and she would savor every second of this rarity. But still, she didn't understand-- if he thought her a capable ninja, why didn't he agree with her being Head of the Clan?

"But you do not have the right disposition to become the leader of the Hyuuga," her father continued, still not looking at her. "You are much too gentle to lead the family, Hinata. To be Head of the Clan you must put the honor and well-being of the family above everything, no matter what you must do. That is a ruthlessness you do not and will never have. And I wouldn't want you to have it."

He finally turned his head to look at her and Hinata could see that, while he still held his head regally high, his eyes held a softness that she had rarely seen in her life. For now she was looking into the eyes not of Hyuuga Hiashi, the Leader of the Hyuuga Clan, but those of Hyuuga Hiashi, the man she owed her life to. "Above being Head of the Clan, Hinata, I am your father, and my main concern is your happiness. Though it may not seem so at times, I only want the best for you. And if you have to take the hand that destiny dealt for you, I would wish that it does not change you for the worst."

Hinata felt tears in her eyes. "Chichiue... Arigatou... but this has already been decided since I was born, t-there is no other option..."

"There is one more option," he sentenced.

Hinata gasped. How was she not aware of this fact? Twenty-one years had passed since she had the weight of the Hyuuga Clan put on her shoulders, and she hadn't known she had one other alternative during all of that time? "T-there... is..."

"Though I fear you might not find it any better than the one you already know," Hiashi looked deeply into his daughter's eyes and watched as she caught her breath. "The only way for a Hyuuga heir to be released of his duty as Head of the Clan without tarnishing the family honor is if she is to be married to forge an alliance with the head of another Clan. The responsibility of leading the Hyuuga Clan would then pass to the next in line."

Her eyes were wide as saucers. "D-does... d-does t-that mean...?"

Hiashi nodded. "If you accept, you will be part of an arranged marriage."

Hinata couldn't breath. She couldn't believe what she was hearing-- she was being taken out of the stove and into the fire. She was going to be forced to do something she did not want to do, no matter what. How could she do this? She couldn't lead the Clan, but she couldn't marry someone if she didn't love him. Could this situation get any worse? This was her fate, if only for being born first. Maybe she should just try her best at being the Clan Head... at least she had been preparing for that her whole life.

"Hinata," he father called, and she whipped her head back to look at him. She was scared, she didn't want to be here anymore... it was too much to take... "You know that if there was any way I could take this burden off you, I would." As tears started rolling down her cheeks, he continued. And for the first time he didn't berate her tears as being a sign of weakness. She was being put through a hard test, and she would pull through, but she needed to go through every moment first. "It is precisely why I do not wish for you to take on my title. Just like me, you would have to put the Clan ahead of everything, including yourself. Including those you love the most. And in that, who you are might be destroyed." His eyes clouded and through the haze in her own, she could understand that he was thinking about his brother, who accepted his own death to save the family, and how he was forced to accept his brother's decision against his will. "I would feel less worried if you took this last option I have given you. That way I at least know you would not have to grieve all your life because one single decision made you lose yourself." By now she didn't want to look at him, she cried silently into her sleeves and he let her. "But it is your decision. You must to choose one of the two, for the family, but only you will be the one to choose."

She cried desperately for a few minutes more, Hiashi doing nothing more than looking at her. All was quiet save for her sobs. After a while she sobered up, realizing that she couldn't keep her father waiting for much longer. She was still forced by family honor to accept one of the two options, but she had accepted a long time ago that there was no other choice but to give up her happiness for the Hyuuga family. So after some consideration, she did decide.

She had been in love with one boy for her entire life, but she knew that as much as she hoped, it was unlikely he would ever love her back, so she couldn't reject the proposal based on that one fact. And she could learn to love the man who would become her husband; after all, her parent's marriage had been arranged as well and they had lived quite comfortably up until then. If there was every any suffering, she would be the only one taking part in it-- she wouldn't drag the Clan down with her. And of course, there was the fact that her father would prefer if she accepted the engagement. And his opinion mattered to her like almost no-one else's.

She took a deep breath before wiping her eyes and looking back at her father. "I choose to accept the alliance marriage."

Hiashi nodded at her. She could tell that he was sad she was cornered into such a fate, and she thanked him for understanding. But she could also see that he thought this was the best option. And she couldn't take back her words. "Very well. I will pass this on to the elders so they announce the engagement. You may go now."

She weakly nodded and got up to leave, and as she had her hand on the doorknob he heard her father's last words to her:

"In three months you will be married to Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

**just a wee bit of a note--**

one thing, i admittedly don't know much about hinata's relationship with her father; thus, their personalities are probably greatly exaggerated. i quite like hiashi, i think he would be a good father even though he's pretty harsh in most of the scenes we've seen him in, but that's just his "head of the clan" persona acting up, i guess. i don't know, though, how he and hinata would address each other. i decided she would call him "chichiue" (ちちうえ), it being a respectful way of saying "father," if i'm not mistaken. "otousan" (おとうさん) seemed too informal. please correct me if i'm wrong about the meaning of those two. i don't know what she calls him in the manga and i can't remember if she ever said either word in the anime ;;; so please help me with that if you can.

errrr... spoilers, i guess. if you haven't read/watched up to the chuunin exam.


	2. Chapter 1

**Dakaratte**

**author:** carla, aka cali-chan  
**rating:** PG, so far. rating might go up, though, depending on my mood when writing later chapters.  
**genre:** romance, drama, some humor.  
**pairings:** sasusaku, naruhina, shikaino... possible nejiten.  
**canon:** probably manga, since i can't exactly wait until i can catch the episodes... it's quicker to read the manga xD they're not THAT different, anyway.  
**summary:** they live in a land where family strength and honor of the bloodline are the most important things. by that principle, uchiha sasuke finds himself in an arranged engagement to hyuuga hinata, and he intends to follow it through, to restore the uchiha clan. he doesn't know anything about girls, though, so he gets help from the only girl he can consider being remotely comfortable with... what happens when their 'practice' becomes so much more? and how will hinata deal with her family's pressure and her impending loveless marriage?

·

* * *

· 

_Dakaratte_ (だからって): _jap exp_. Even so; all the same; nevertheless; yes, but...

·

* * *

· 

**Chapter 1**

·

"How many?"

"Seventy-two."

"Don't believe you."

Shikamaru growled under his breath, frustrated. Was she going to keep asking that every single freakin' time he told her a number? Women. "You know, there's no use in having an IQ of over two hundred if I can't even count some stupid flowers."

That "stupid flowers" comment earned him a high heel to his face. "Yeah, well, even having a two THOUSAND IQ won't give you the ability to count with your eyes closed!"

He winced. Her voice was getting shrill, which meant she was getting mad... again. Stupid woman. "I already counted them."

"Well count them again!"

This time he growled out loud. "Well if you won't believe me just count them yourself. Or are you too blonde for that?"

That "blonde" comment earned him a high heel AND an elbow to the face. "Lazy ass! Do your job and don't complain!"

He grumbled something about annoying teammates on their way to becoming dictators low enough that she wouldn't hear. With much effort, like the simple movement spent all his energy, he opened one eye and took a look at the crate full of roses. After just a couple of seconds he closed it back. He leaned more comfortably on the wall he was sitting against. "Still seventy-two."

He heard Ino hum her assent as she scribbled the number down in her notepad.

She worked in silence for a while, walking around the shop to check some more of the flower crates. He knew because he'd been with her during inventory so many times in the past, he had her routine memorized.

"You know, Shika, if you stopped being so lazy about... life in general... then your mother wouldn't force you to come and help me with inventory as punishment."

Since her tone was back to normal again, he deemed it too troublesome to reply. She'd just keep talking anyway. "Did we put the chrysanthemums in the back?"

"Yeah," he replied immediately. He didn't need to look again, he remembered in detail every crate that was inside the frost room at the moment.

"What about the peonies?"

"Aa." She hummed her assent again, and continued her rounds around the locale.

"Maybe you should just move out of your house," she continued her past train of conversation, though he knew she was paying more attention to the list in front of her than to him. "That way your mom would stop fussing over you and I wouldn't have to put up with you here all the time." He would've replied that the feeling was mutual, but it was too troublesome. She'd either get mad or start raving about how other guys would kill for this chance he had, and he didn't like that topic much. "And then you could find someone else to do everything for you like wash your clothes, cook your food, clean your place, and stuff." She paused for a second and then gasped, as if something great had just occurred to her. "That's it, Shikamaru! You need to get yourself a girlfriend!"

His eyes opened and he looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "Are you nuts?"

She turned to him, putting her hands on her hips and giving him a look like one would give a two-years-old while explaining that he should not stick his finger in the electricity socket. "I mean it, it's exactly what you need! Someone who loves you enough to do all that stuff for you but isn't your mother, so she can't punish you for not doing it yourself." She smiled at him. "Besides, didn't you say you do want to get married and have kids some day? You gotta have a girlfriend before that, you know. You can't be expecting a girl to just pop out of the blue and ask you to marry her! You have to court her... somehow..." She stopped then, and frowned. "Though of course, you're too damn lazy for that, aren't you?"

Shikamaru looked at her, his expression never changing in the least. "Mendokusei."

Ino rolled her eyes. "You'll never change. I swear, you'll be an eternal bachelor... the only one in our generation! Even Sasuke-kun got himself a girlfriend."

That shocked him, though his face didn't show it. "Uchiha has a girlfriend? How did THAT happen?"

She giggled. "Trust you not to have heard. They just announced an arranged marriage between him and Hinata-chan. To unite the families? It's all over town."

He crouched over, his back separating from the wall, leaning his arms on his legs as he stared at her. "And you're okay with that?"

"Don't be stupid, I got over Sasuke-kun ages ago," she replied, looking back down at her list. "Are the irises in the back, as well?"

"Nope. Still have to count those."

"Mm-hm. It does make me a little mad, though," she continued, and he knew she wasn't talking about the irises, but about the Uchiha-Hyuuga nuptials. "I mean, it's kinda weird that they're forcing those two to marry, like it's the last century or something. I don't think they like each other like that. Have they even ever spoken to each other?" she asked him, frowning. Shikamaru shrugged. She shook her head. "But oh well, there's not much I can do about that. It's between them and their families, isn't it?"

She looked at nothing for a moment, lightly swinging her pen between two fingers so that it hit her notepad once in a while. "But oh! We were talking about YOU, weren't we?" she turned to him with a smile he couldn't describe with any other word except... evil.

He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, wishing very much that his family's specialty had been camouflaging against stuff (like walls, for example) instead of manipulating shadows. It might save him from whatever his devilish, blonde, FEMALE teammate was planning for him. "What?"

"I'm going to get you a girlfriend, Shikamaru. If it's the last thing I do."

He groaned. "You ARE nuts."

"No, really it'll be fine! I'll make sure you get the best girl around, Shika. You're my friend, after all. Aaaaand if you really fall in love with her it'll keep you out of my hair for a long, long time," she finished, her smile turning from mischievous to brilliant. Shikamaru looked at her and briefly considered not complaining if it meant that she'd smile at him that way more often.

"But you won't impress any girls dressed like that. We'll need to go to the mall and get you some new clothes." Her eyes shone as they always did when the mall was mentioned, and Shikamaru was almost strangled by the feeling of impending doom in the air.

What had he thought about not complaining? He took it back.

--

"That was very good, Hinata-sama. You still have trouble with your reaction time regarding targets to your far left, but you're progressing nicely. We shall continue practicing tomorrow."

Hinata breathed hard as she turned to her cousin, the veins around her eyes smoothing out as she deactivated her Byakugan. They'd been practicing a lot on her reactions to attacks coming from unexpected angles, using her Kekkai Genkai. She smiled at her genius relative; of course, he wasn't even winded. "I-I wouldn't say so, Neji-niisan. You probably shouldn't... have used the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. I've spent a long time watching Nar-- uh, I-I've been studying that jutsu for a long time. Yes. S-so it makes sense..."

Neji looked at her with a raised brow and she blushed to the tips of her ears. She covered her face with her hands by reflex. Of course Neji knew about her feelings for the blonde-haired Hokage-wannabe. She hadn't told him, and he'd certainly never commented on it, but she knew he knew. "Well, all the more proof that we'll have to continue this tomorrow, then." He walked around, picking up some shuriken that were still on the ground. "Let's go back to the Hyuuga Estate. It's late and it will get colder soon," he told her, going back to his serious expression and tone.

"I-I think..." Hinata started, and Neji turned to look at her. "I-I'd rather stay h-here a little longer, N-neji-niisan. Y-you go on ahead..."

Neji frowned at her. "I can't leave you here alone, Hinata-sama."

Hinata looked at the ground. She seemed to be shaking a little. "I-I'll be okay, really. I j-just want to stay here a while and thin-- j-just... I-I'd like to practice a little more with my kunais. I-I'll be right back, I promise."

Neji stared intently at her, his expression betraying none of his thoughts. "You're not ready for tomorrow's event, is that it?"

She closed her eyes, wondering why she was so easy to read. Hesitantly she nodded. She couldn't see him but after about a minute she heard his voice again. "Very well. But if you're not back at the Estate in an hour, I'll come back for you, Hinata-sama."

She heard the shuffle of his feet against the ground as he started to walk away from her. "I wish you would not call me that," she whispered, weakly enough that she barely made a sound, but he stopped in his tracks for a second.

"I'd rather that I do." And with that, he walked out of the clearing towards their home. Hinata took a deep breath and took a kunai out of her leg holder.

She had barely thrown any kunais, when she broke down, crying for all she was worth against the log that was her target.

The air was crisp about her, and it made her feel even worse. Why did her life have to be like this? Why did she always have to be forced into unhappiness for the sake of something so abstract as family honor? Why couldn't she be strong enough to stand up for what she wanted, and to build her life the way she wanted it to be? Why must she be so weak? So pathetic?

She never could understand why this kind of laws existed. Weren't the rules of the Hyuuga Clan, carefully created centuries ago by the wise elders, supposed to help the Clan thrive and keep its members living in peace and harmony? She hadn't seen any of that so far. These outdated rules had not only made her miserable since she was a little girl, but they had made her cousin Neji bitter and hateful for the most part of his life. She thanked the heavens that since their Chuunin Exam days he'd begun a slow but steady process of accepting the cards he was dealt and making his own destiny with them. She wished all the happiness in the world for him, who had been so wronged in the past. No one deserved such suffering. She was glad he had learned that he could be free, if he so wished it.

Maybe if she'd become Heir of the Clan she could've done something about the Branch Family situation. Though it was hard to imagine, she would've tried her best. Now she wouldn't even have the chance.

She wished she wasn't a Hyuuga... but no. That wasn't fair. Despite everything, she loved her family. Because despite all the high expectations they had of her, she knew they loved her. In their own way, that is. She just wished that the rigor and bureaucracy of being one of the country's leading clans could be sidestepped. Things would be so much better if they were just another family... like the Harunos, or the Yamanakas. Oh, things would be so much easier then.

She was so focused on her pain that she didn't hear footsteps behind her.

"Hinata! What is it! Are you hurt!"

Hinata gasped and turned to look up at those bright blue eyes she'd truly wished not to see until after her wedding. "N-naruto-kun!"

"Hinata-chan, why are you crying? Do you have a problem? Pain anywhere? Blood?" He quickly looked her over, checking for injuries or something of the sort.

Hinata blushed and pushed his hands away. "N-no! I'm not injured, Naruto-k-kun! Y-you don't need to worry..."

He looked at her through squinty eyes, much like he used to do when he was twelve. She would've giggled had she been in any other situation. "Then why are you crying?" He sat down beside her, carefully taking out a kunai that was stuck to the log before resting against it. It wouldn't be the first time he forgot to check and ended up cutting himself, he told her with a sheepish grin.

She stayed quiet and he just looked at her for a while. "Did your dad say something to hurt you again?"

She felt more tears well up in her eyes, and Naruto figured that it must've been something along those lines, but she wasn't saying anything about it. Hinata, for her part, realized he didn't know about the engagement and she didn't want him to know. Knowing him, he'd make a big deal about it and she really didn't want to talk about it at all, much less with him. "P-please, N-naruto-kun, could you just l-leave me alone for a while? I j-just want t-to think for a b-bit..."

He frowned at her. "Nope. No can do." Her eyes widened; she was a bit shocked to hear that. But then his frown turned into a wide grin and he rested his head back against the log. "When I was little and everybody still hated me, I used to try to get away and think about it. I always ended up feeling even worse. And then I usually went out and did something that got me scolded," he closed his eyes, his expression growing wistful as if he were remembering those days with amusement. "So I'm not letting you be like that!"

She stared at him, amazed. Any other person would have been bitter, but not him, not Uzumaki Naruto. She wanted to offer him a small measure of comfort though... she wanted to tell him that she had always been watching him, even then, when he felt he was alone. But she hadn't had the courage to tell him back then, and she still didn't have it now. So she just adjusted her position so that they wouldn't be touching.

She felt herself blush; he was so close, their shoulders bumped together. She almost felt like running away and hiding behind a tree, the way she had used to do when she was a kid. But no, that would be too embarassing.

They were in silence for a while, and she could see him glance at her out of the corner of his eyes, with a smile, because he was happy that she had finally stopped crying. Then suddenly he got jumpy. "Oh! Oh! I forgot to tell you what I came here to tell you!"

Hinata blinked owlishly. "Y-you wanted to t-tell me s-something?" she repeated, all kinds of things flying through her head. What could he want to tell her? Her mind came up with several, from really romantic stuff that made her blush like crazy, to other things that the rest of the world would regard as unimportant and even stupid, but that were much more Naruto.

"Yep! Ano sa, ano sa! I finally got Tsunade-baachan to admit that I would be a good choice for the next Hokage! Yatta!" he stood up and jumped, landing in frong of her with his right hand giving her a victory sign, and a brilliant smile in his face.

Hinata giggled. Yes, it was the second option she'd been thinking about, all right. She marveled at his enthusiasm over something so simple, but for him it was just one more step towards achieving his biggest dream. Sure, he wasn't as airheaded as he was when they were genins anymore, but he still had that air of innocence about him, that way of looking at the world and seeing only the good side of every situation. And she loved him so much for it. It was truly inspiring. "I-i'm very glad, N-naruto-kun."

He'd probably run around town telling everybody, she thought with a mental snicker. That didn't make her feel any special but it amused her very much. "Thank you, Hinata-chaaannnn!" he exclaimed, winking at her. He then crossed his arms and smirked. "Well, of course she would say that. After all, I'm one of the most powerful jounins there are! Hah! She told ME, not Sasuke-teme, not Neji, and not Shikamaru! Ew, I swear she's like in luuuuuuuuv with him or something. She keeps making him lead all the missions! Haha, if she knew that only makes him mad..." he sweatdropped, thinking about their lazy friend. "But anyway! It doesn't matter because he's not good enough to be Hokage! Nu-uh! That's only me, oh yeah."

She laughed as he puffed his chest out. He was right, he was truly one of the most powerful ninjas around. He never stopped trying, he cared so much about everybody, and he always gave his absolute best in every mission. And that was just him; with the added chakra of the Kyuubi... well, he was near unstoppable. She was completely sure that he WOULD be Hokage one day. He would make it.

"Anyway," he sobered up but didn't stop smiling, "I gotta go now. I want to find Sasuke-teme and RUB IT in his face!" he laughed rather evily, and she thought it was really cute. She nodded her head and he turned to leave. "Nice to see you, Hinata-chan! And oh!" he stopped and looked at her, lightly pointing at her with her finger, not in an accusatory manner but just to get her attention to his words. "Don't cry anymore, ok? A face so pretty as yours shouldn't be covered in tears."

He gave his back to her again and she was left to blush like crazy again. In his way, though, he met another pair of familiar pearl-colored eyes. "Ah, ohayou, Neji!" he said as he passed by Hinata's cousin. The Hyuuga simply nodded his head for a greeting, and Naruto happily strolled out of the training grounds.

Neji turned to his blushing relative with a rather blank expression. "You must go back to the Estate now."

Hinata nodded, still very red and feeling like she was floating due to Naruto's unexpected compliment. Neji looked at her, and as she passed beside him he commented: "It's not proper for you to be alone with him now, Hinata-sama."

"You were the only one who saw us, Neji-niisan..." she replied airily, more like a sigh than anything else. The lack of a stutter in her speech wasn't lost on him, either. But she seemed to be in such a daze, so happy, that he let it go, following her without saying another word.

--

Sakura walked down the streets of Konoha, mentally going over the list of books her Sensei had given her to read. Between ninja work and her shifts in the hospital, she seriously didn't think she'd have enough time to read them all, but she really wanted to. Tsunade-shishou had been reluctant to assign them to her but she was completely awed by hearing her speak about the healing techniques that were described there. She'd like nothing more than to lock herself into her study and just read and read for days. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. She still had to work, and that included traveling through Konoha in the midst of the chit-chat of the town, which had recently become loud and chirpy.

She rolled her eyes as she passed by a group of giggly teenage girls. Of course she knew what they were giggling about. News of the engagement were all over town.

Thinking about it made her think that she wasn't really much older than those girls. And she could clearly remember a time when trying to make a certain boy notice her was the single most important thing in her life. And now, looking back, she could scarcely believe that naive little girl had been her. She felt so much more mature now, like she was in a completely new level. She wasn't worrying about love all the time. Her most important things now were her friends, her family, her carreer... trying to be the best medic, ninja and person overall that she could be. That was what she wanted more than ever.

It took him leaving for her to realize that.

She looked around, noticing that her feet were taking her down the familiar path. The one down the peddled road that lead to the entrance to the village. A team of nins was coming back from an A-ranked mission and Tsunade-shishou had asked her to receive them and examine any injuries they might suffer from. It wasn't like she was walking this way because she was taking a trip down the spots in Konoha that marked her memories or anything.

During that time when Sasuke had been out of the village for the whole Orochimaru ordeal, she had grown up a lot. Of course she never denied that she'd been in love with him; she had, and deeply so. She knew it wasn't just any schoolgirl crush, because it hurt so much, and she didn't think anything could hurt that much if it wasn't real. But she had also rationalized, through those years he was absent and then seeing him come back as Orochimaru's protege, that he would never return her feelings. There just wasn't any space in his heart for her, because killing his brother and restoring his clan were, and would always be, first and foremost to him.

So she had decided to give up on that foolish dream. Oh, she still wanted him to come back to Konoha, and she still cared very much for him. She still wanted him to open up his heart and for him to want and seek happiness like everybody else. She still wanted to be his friend... she just wouldn't pursue him romantically.

During her teenage years, she forced her heart to let go of him. She went out on dates, she had boyfriends... and she'd accomplished it. It was the hardest thing she'd ever had to go through, but she did it. Nowadays she could talk to him just like he was any other guy, and she thought she liked their relationship better now. Of course, he still wasn't outspoken or anything but she felt like he was probably a little less uncomfortable around her now that she wasn't throwing herself at him. Every now and then they even had what could be considered a decent conversation!

She smiled amusedly at that last thought. Looking up she noticed that she was nearing that specific place.

Then she saw him.

He was sitting in precisely THAT bench, the one he had left her lying on when he left the village that one time. Sakura frowned. He had his arms supported on his thighs and was looking down at the floor intensely. Did he have a problem? Well, she couldn't expect him to be jumping with joy at the prospect of being married to a girl he didn't particularly care much for, but she'd thought he'd be pleased to be given an opportunity to restore his clan.

She walked towards him with a friendly smile on her face. "Ohayou, Sasuke-kun!"

His head snapped up as she sat down beside him. He grunted what she interpreted as a greeting. She rolled her eyes. "Hey, I heard about your engagement. Congratulations!"

He shrugged and went back to looking down. She took that as a signal that she had to fill the silence if she wanted this little meeting to continue. "Umm, well, I guess you're not that excited, huh?"

"That doesn't matter," he replied sharply, dismissing her question.

"It sure does, Sasuke-kun," she stated, laughing a little. "I know you don't love Hinata-chan, and we all know she doesn't love you either, but having a good and peaceful marriage will be imperative for your clan to go back to the grandeur it had in the past. Who knows? Maybe you can grow to love her."

"This isn't about love, Sakura," he kept refuting her comments, probably trying to get her to drop the subject.

"I know," she sighed. That was the whole point of the marriage being arranged. Not letting love interfere in the betterment of their clans. "Why did this come about, anyway? I didn't think they'd go so far as to marrying people from two different clans to form an alliance? Isn't refining the Kekkai Genkais the general idea? What if your child is born with the Byakugan?" The physician and scientist in her had been dying to know about this. The genetics of the bloodline limits was something that had always interested her; perhaps because she'd spent so much much time studying one who possesed one of these tecniques. He looked at her like it was the most irreverent question he'd ever heard.

"They wouldn't arrange a marriage for the head of the clan. Usually they'd have married Hinata and someone from the branches of my clan, in order to preserve the purity of the Head's lineage. There is... nobody else but me now. The risk has to be taken."

Sakura blinked at the length of his response. It was probably the most she had heard him speak since he came back to Konoha. And she poked herself inwardly; she shouldn't have brought up this topic, for he was still sensitive when it came to speaking about his family's annihilation. "Ah, well, I guess I understand. What will you do if it happens, though?" she asked, against all mental protests of Inner-Sakura.

"Have another child."

She almost sweatdropped at how fast and bluntly he had answered. "I don't think Hinata-chan would appreciate you treating her like a baby-making machine, Sasuke-kun," she chuckled and he glared at her. He obviously didn't find it funny. She sobered up. "Seriously, Sasuke-kun... do try to make Hinata-chan happy. She's a great girl, she deserves it."

"Hn."

There was silence for just a moment, as she tried to interpret if that grunt was a yes or a no. As much as she'd tried, she was never fluent in Sasuke language. "So when's the wedding?" she asked, giving up on deciphering what he'd meant.

"It'll be announced tomorrow, at the official engagement ceremony."

She nodded, thinking she'd heard about the event before. "Oh, yes, Tsunade-shishou told me about it. Of course, she's invited. I guess it's going to be a big party, ne?"

Sasuke frowned. "No." She waited for him to elaborate... and boy did it take him a long time. He was silent for minutes, as if debating whether to tell her or not. "Only the leaders of the Hyuuga and prominent members of the village will be there."

She nodded. He didn't look convinced that he should be telling her this. Was there some sort of top-secret, confidential ritual that had to be performed or something? "There will be dinner. Then the Hyuuga girl and I will sign a contract. Then we will..." He looked at her from the corner of his eye, a barely noticeable movement, and then brought his vision sharply down. "No. We... The Hokage will then announce the date out loud, in accordance to the contract. That's it."

She blinked. Why was he so reluctant to speak about it, if it was that easy? And why was he so troubled? He was probably not telling her something... he HAD stumbled a little there in the middle. "Uh, what was that? I missed something there. You said you and Hinata-chan would sign a contract and then..."

If she thought it took him long to answer last time, well this time it took him an eternity. "None of your business." She could've sworn he was blushing, though. His fingers were now gripping the bench he was sitting on so tightly, they were almost white.

She grinned. Whatever it was, it was making him uncomfortable, which was something she always loved to see because it happened so rarely. "What is it, Sasuke-kun? Do you have to give her a ring? It wouldn't be that strange, I guess. Do you have to dance with her? Kiss her? What?" He went nuclear red as she finished that sentence, and she gasped. "That's it? You and Hinata-chan have to kiss? That's what's got you so worked up?" He was now growling low in his throat. He glared kunais at her and stood up, intending to stop the conversation by force. "No no no, wait!" Sakura stood up as well and interrupted his escape by standing in his way. "Why are you so worried about that? It's not like you'll have problems, you've been the heartthrob of this town since you were ten!"

He let out an "argh!" and turned to the other side, dodging her cover. His blush hadn't receded, she saw. "Or is it... Oh my god, Sasuke-kun. It can't be... you mean... you've... never..." She stood there looking at him with wide eyes, as surprised as if he had told her he was going to quit being a ninja and become a ballerina. She knew he wasn't the type to, uh, have a girlfriend and stuff, but he was TWENTY-ONE. She'd been sure he'd at _least_ gone and made out with someone. One of his fans who had thrown herself at him or something. Unless he was... no, there was no way he didn't like girls. He was marrying one, after all. He wouldn't do that if he didn't like girls, now would he? Well, he _could_, since the restoration _was_ the most important thing for him right now...

But no, the way he was blushing probably meant he just hadn't ever kissed anyone and had first-time jitters. You don't get those if you don't expect to feel _something_ from the kiss... "Sasuke-kun, don't worry. I mean, you have to kiss her, but I don't think there are any rules that say how you must kiss her, right? It can be just a peck. That's easy. No feelings involved."

"I don't care about feelings," he spat at her, now looking more angry than embarrassed. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but right there. Maybe she should just let it go; if she went too far he may not want to speak to her ever again and she didn't want him to go back to being the cold and hurtful boy he used to be. "I just don't want to look like a bumbling fool in front of the leaders of the Hyuuga Clan. I will not."

"You won't," she assured him. Trust him to be feeling performance anxiety about every stupid little detail. She was sure that after the contracts were signed, nobody would give a damn if he could kiss or not. Not even Hinata; Sakura was sure Hinata-chan would rather he not kiss her at all. "You just have to press your lips to hers for like a second and that's it. Nothing more. It's that easy."

He raised an eyebrow at her, like he didn't believe she thought people could kiss without at least some feeling. She crossed her arms at his incredulous gaze. "I'm not kidding, Sasuke-kun. It doesn't have to mean anything. Oh, I know... try it on me. You'll be convinced."

He scowled at her. "I thought you'd given up on the fangirl shit."

She rolled her eyes. "I did. I'm just trying to help you here."

He snorted. "I don't need your help."

Then SHE snorted. "Sure, just don't come crying to me when you trip over yourself in front of Hyuuga Hiashi." He growled, his fists were shaking at his sides-- had his eyes just turned red? She held her hands up in the universal 'surrender' sign. "I swear I'm not pulling any tricks on you, Sasuke-kun. I don't feel anything for you anymore."

He gave her a hard stare, and they stayed like that for a while. Then he gave one reluctant step forward. She smiled at him. "Okay. Now, just lean towards me, touch my lips with yours, and snap back. You won't even notice when it happens, I tell you."

He nodded, never one to back out of a challenge. He'd show her who was going to trip over themselves. He stepped even closer to her, until their breaths mingled, and started leaning in... When their lips touched, he did intend for it to last at most one second, but his body wouldn't move. She was warm; not just her lips, but all of her, her presence so close to him, who always felt very cold. And a flowery smell reached his nose, which distracted him, and he felt he wanted to find the source. Was it her hair? Her neck? Letting out a breath of air he didn't realise he was holding-- it came out almost like a sigh against her face-- he pressed his lips more insistently against hers and felt her respond...

Sakura wasn't sure what had happened. To her it felt like she had skipped a couple of seconds of her life. She knew it had lasted much longer than expected because her heart was beating so furiously, and when it started it hadn't been that way. Her mind couldn't seem to register that Sasuke had just kissed her, and that it had been a much more intense experience than she'd expected. All she was sure of was that her knees felt very weak, and when he suddenly wasn't there anymore she couldn't turn around to see him, only heard his furious footsteps behind her as he walked away.

She was going to be late for her meeting with the ninja team at the town gates, she noticed as she tried to regain her breath.

She left, trying to convince herself that she had felt nothing in that kiss... but it was a lost battle.

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**a little author's note--**

i absolutely hate the way the last scene came out, but i've rewritten it so many times by now, that this is as good as it's going to get. OOC Sasuke will poke my feet when i'm asleep, though o.o and i absolutely made neji into a butler; maybe i should start calling him alfred now xD

in the next chapter, we get to know what team gai has been doing all these years (and yes, that includes gai himself so go and get a helmet now!). chouji tells ino that shikamaru likes blondes, and sasusaku angst some more. i think. can never be too sure.


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